A HISTORY OF ILLINOIS, FROM ITS COMMENCEMENT AS A STATE IN 1818 TO 1847. CONTAINING A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE BLACK HAWK WAR, THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND FALL OF MORMONISM, THE ALTON AND LOVEJOY RIOTS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT AND INTERESING EVENTS. BY THE LATE GOV. THOMAS FORD. CHICAGO: PUBLISHED BY S. C. GRIGGS & CO., 111 LAKE Ꮪ Ꭲ Ꭱ Ꭼ Ꭼ Ꭲ . NEW YORK: IVISON & PHINNEY. 1854. THE NEW YORK ASTOR, LENOX AND Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by S. C. GRIGGS & CO., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B: SMITH, 916 William St INTRODUCTION BY GEN. JAMES SHIELDS. IN 1850, while the author of this work was on his death-bed, he placed in my hands a manuscript, with the contents of which I was then wholly unacquainted, with the injunction that after his decease I should have it published for the benefit of his family. He soon after departed this life, leaving his orphan children in a destitute condition. In compliance with his dying request, I made repeated efforts to have the work published on terms that might secure some percentage to the orphans, but until my arrangements with the present publishers, all these efforts proved unsuccessful. By this arrangement the children will receive a liberal percentage on the sales of the work. The author, during his whole life, had very favorable opportunities for observing events and collecting information connected with the history of his State. He was yet a child when his parents emigrated to Illinois. On arriving at maturity he was there admitted to the bar, and practised his profession for many years with |